A Jamaica Hills nonprofit dedicated to helping people with developmental disabilities is worried it may have to lay off some of its staff and scale back its programs if cuts Gov. Andrew Cuomo proposed in his budget go into effect.

Charles Houston, executive director of the Queens Center for Progress, at 81-15 164th St., said the proposed cuts could be a blow to his organization and the people they serve.

QCP serves about 80 people living in its residential facilities and hundreds of others in its day programs and vocational services, with the aim of helping people with developmental disabilities become more independent.

But Houston said the organization would stand to lose about $1.75 million out of $29 million reserved for adult services out of its annual budget, at a time when it is still hurting from past budget cuts in the last few years and rising health care costs.

“There’s really no cushion at all to absorb these cuts if they were to go through,” he said.

Thus, if the cuts are passed, QCP may have to lay off about 30 positions out of its 600-person staff. It may also have to scale back many of its programs promoting self-sufficiency, which include teaching patients how to do things like travel or handle money, and volunteer and working opportunities.

And QCP is not alone. Houston said under the proposed cuts all other nonprofits like his across the state would take a hit.

“The number of people who would be affected by this, it’s really huge,” he said.

Cuomo proposed a 6 percent reduction in the reimbursement rate for nonprofits serving people with developmental disabilities as a way to save $120 million in the budget. That comes on top of $350 million in cuts the groups have taken over the last few years.

But it is not certain the cuts will make their way into the final budget. Both the state Senate and state Assembly restored the $120 million in their proposed budgets, Houston said.

Houston said if the funding is not restored, it would mean QCP and other state nonprofits like it would have to revert to a more custodial kind of care for their patients, which harkens back to a time when people with developmental disabilities were kept in institutional settings.

He said there has been a huge effort in recent years to move away from that kind of care by focusing on integrating patients into the community.

Reader Feedback

Lorraine Heaney from Bellerose says:

Thank you for publicizing the concerns QCP has if this 6% buget cut to OPWDD services goes through. If these cuts go through, agencies will need to lay off direct support staff and close or sharly reduce critical programs that people with developmental disabilities and their families count on every day. The Governor's 30-Day Amendments contain a massive $240 million ($120 million state share) reduction in funding for supports and services to people with developmental disabilities - this must be stopped! We urge the Governor to FULLY restore this devastating cut.

Respectfully,Lorraine Heaney

March 15, 2013, 11:47 am

julius dent from flatbush brooklyn says:

Hi my name disabled.I have an idea; or proposal of/ Ask not what can my country do for me?But what can I do for my country.These words of solidarity,Reading this article something hit me from the heart.When i first became disabled]2009.I was sent some literature from ssa.And it said there are some 55million americans or so recieving benefits..And i thought,When all the news about cutting cost to medicare/medicaid and such etc.ect. I thought what if i got on phone with and asked 55millon people for one or two of there dollars once ayear,With the reality of these cuts to all of us and our loved ones; men woman children/grandparents fathers mothers sons daughters uncles aunts nieces nephews cousins ect.What would they say. Yes or no?Knowing we would be doing ourselfs and others a great service. Some how i think it would make a big impact on some of our neigbors and people in general. personaly, I dont have a developmental disability but those people and the ones who care for them, deserve a helping hand and 55million sounds like alot of hands.We the people are that cushion gracefully.It dosn't hurt to ask. Im one of 55m. I say yes we can.

March 18, 2013, 9:04 pm

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